Time To Make It Right

Little League will always be about kids and that's the way it should be. But there are some rules in baseball All-Star Tournament games that absolutely drive me batty.

I do believe that every kid should participate in some way during All-Star Tournament play (although I wouldn't be totally against it if it wasn't a rule either), but those in charge have stepped over the line in order to appease everybody.

Hopefully somebody in Williamsport is paying attention.

Little League had it right a few years back. Until approximately five or six years ago, the mandatory-play rule stated every player should get at least one at-bat OR play three outs in the field.

To me, that seemed fair enough. At least every kid could say they got some action.

But LL changed the rule to make it every player should get an at-bat AND three outs in the field.

Why? It pressures the coaches into making moves they wouldn't do otherwise. These guys should be worrying about baseball, but instead have to wrack their brains figuring out when they're going to squeeze someone in.

I think it's ridiculous. If LL wants to improve the quality of the All-Star tournaments, they should change the rule back to one at-bat OR three outs in the field. It surely would make things a lot simpler.

I notice rosters have been down to about 12 per team when rules state you can have as many as 14. Do you think coaches are passing up opportunities to put one or two more kids on a team (and yes, there are some kids that are simply happy to be a part of a team) because they don't want to deal with the mandatory-play rule? You better believe it. And that's a shame.

(And by the way, I'm glad LL woke up and changed the rule that penalized winning teams with a loss for not completing the mandatory-play rule in rain-shortened games. Apparently, if the game is official even though it didn't go a full six innings, the mandatory-play rule is now nullified. Amen).

Second, the pinch runner rules are absolutely ridiculous and confusing. How is it possible that Little League allows a starting player, who is presently out of the game, to pinch run for another player in the batting order? It doesn't make any sense. If you want a kid to re-enter and pinch run in his original spot, fine. But to allow him to be inserted in different spots in the lineup is baffling.

What's the purpose? He saw PT as a starter and, as the mandatory-play rule states, gives the kid at least an at-bat and three outs in the field.

The special pinch runner rule is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of.

Now I admit, one of the reasons I hate these stupid rules is because it makes it confusing while keeping my scorer's book. How many times should you write a player's name in a different spot and then be expected to tally up his final numbers in the end correctly.

But by changing these unneccesary rules would make things easier on all involved.

Let the coaches coach baseball with fair rules that will truly allow the best team to win the game.